Best of our wild blogs: 22 Oct 14

Lots of dead farmed fishes at Lim Chu Kang, and now also at Kranji
from wild shores of singapore

Golden-bellied Gerygone serenading
for Bird Ecology Study Group

Two Butterflies at Mandai Track 15
from Beauty of Fauna and Flora in Nature

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Lower rate of airflow to cargo compartment may have led sheep to die of heat stress: MUIS

Today Online 21 Oct 14;

SINGAPORE — The 174 sheep, meant for a korban ritual earlier this month, could have died of heat stress due to a slightly lower rate of airflow to the cargo compartment of the aircraft during the flight from Perth, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) said today (Oct 21).

“Investigations by the Agri Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore showed that the death of the sheep was due to heat stress. There was no indication of infectious disease,” it added.

The dead animals were among 2,200 Australian sheep that were flown to Singapore on board a Singapore Airlines Cargo plane on Oct 2.

MUIS said investigations by SIA Cargo showed that the aircraft had departed Perth in fully serviceable condition.

“However, a few hours into the flight, one of the three air-conditioning packs on the aircraft produced a slightly lower rate of airflow to the cargo compartment on an intermittent basis. This lower airflow rate affected a small section of the aircraft and may have caused a disruption of temperature in that section of the aircraft,” the MUIS statement said.

In spite of the incident, the korban — an annual Islamic ritual in which livestock are slaughtered and the meat is distributed to worshippers and the needy — was carried out smoothly on Oct 5 at 24 mosques and two Malay/Muslim Organisations organisations, MUIS said.

MUIS explains how Korban sheep died of heat stress
Channel NewsAsia 21 Oct 14;

SINGAPORE: The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) has announced results of investigations into the death of 174 sheep imported from the Australian city of Perth for Korban earlier this month. The sheep were part of a consignment of 2,200 sheep, and their deaths were announced on Oct 4.

MUIS on Tuesday (Oct 21) said a probe by the Agri Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) confirmed earlier findings that the sheep died due to heat stress and that there were no signs of infectious disease.

It also explained how the heat stress likely came about, based on investigations by SIA Cargo. "A few hours into the flight, one of the three air-conditioning packs on the aircraft produced a slightly lower rate of airflow to the cargo compartment on an intermittent basis. This lower airflow rate affected a small section of the aircraft and may have caused a disruption of temperature in that section of the aircraft," MUIS stated. It added that the
aircraft had departed from Perth in fully serviceable condition.

Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Dr Yaacob Ibrahim had said the unfortunate incident is a learning point.

MUIS said despite the deaths, this year's Korban was carried out smoothly on Oct 5 at 24 mosques and at two organisations - Jamiyah Singapore and Muhammadiyah Association.

- CNA/ly

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Malaysia: Sarawak CM furious over logging in national parks

STEPHEN THEN The Star 20 Oct 14;

MIRI: Illegal logging had been detected inside two national parks in Sarawak, one of which is the largest totally-protected peat-swamp forest in this state.
Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem today expressed his outrage over these blatant and continuous illegal loggings, especially in these protected forests, and he said that "enough is enough".

He told a press conference on Monday after chairing a meeting with enforcement agencies in Miri that he wants to see these illegal loggers nailed.

"Yes, we have detected illegal loggings happening in the state, including in two national parks - the Maludam National Park and also in Bukit Tiban National Park.

"I want the forestry officials to nail the culprits behind these illegal harvesting of timber.

"Enough is enough, I want to see results in the fight against these illegal loggers. I have already stopped issuing new timber licences. Those holding logging licences now have also been warned that they must not cross the line.

"If they are involved in illegal loggings, I will go after them also," he warned.

This is the third session of talks with enforcement agencies that Adenan had carried out in Sarawak in his efforts to instill integrity in the civil service after he took over as Chief Minister early this year from Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud.

Maludam is the largest totally protected peat swamp in Sarawak measuring 432 sq km in the Sri Aman Division in southern Sarawak. Bukit Tiban National Park is located in Bintulu Division in northern Sarawak.

These national parks are home to rare and endangered species of plants, trees and animals.

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